[Brent Hutto]

So I got my first good headphone today. FedEx delivered it to me at work, I closed the door and plug it into the iPod. It's a lightly used (4 months old) HD595, packed in the original box which was inside a sturdy shipping box with lots of bubble wrap. Looks immaculate.

The HD595 smells weird. My first thought was that the shipping box had a musty cardboard smell. Then I put the headphone on my head and realized it was the headphone. After wearing it for a half-hour listening to music I still noticed it.

It doesn't smell like cigarette or cigar smoke. But it doesn't smell exactly like new electronics, either. I'd say the smell is somewhere in a triangle between the smells of leather, damp cardboard and a gas heater being turned on for the first time after summer.

Hopefully it will go away if I hang the headphone out in the open air for a day or two. It sounds very good which is the main thing. Do all headphones smell like this?

 

[TheSloth]

I very very very much hope it isn't me!!!!!!!

They didn't spend that much time on my head, and were in a smoke free house. I did however actually put them back in their box and close it up in England before I came back to the 'States, so perhaps you are smelling London!

 

[shplorgh]

I had that exact same smell when I got my new HD650's, but it went away after a few days.

 

[fatko]

Right
Smelling is the best method to check weather ur gear is New or not

 

[overlunge]

Have had a range of smells coming out of headphones... I'm blessed in a way that most of the used headphones I purchased are odorless. The new headphones smells differently depending on their materials used: wood, leather, and probably the most memorable one would be the HD650 with slight chemical smell probably from the pads.

Just air them out a few days and it should clean up the smell nicely.


Overlunge

 

[Brent Hutto]

Well, they've been out of the box for a couple hours and the box now has more of the smell than the headphone does. So I'll guess it's either a) the smell of London or b) something still in the packaging from the factory. After an hour plus of listening I don't think they'll be going back in the package any time soon so maybe they'll air out eventually. Specifically, the smell seems strongest inside that clear plastic insert within the Sennheiser box.

Danny,

I didn't suspect the smell came from you. It's more like a player piano than a piano player, if you know what I mean. I'm trying to connect your London quip with the old joke whose punch line is "...so he drove her to Cleveland" but I can't come up with a way to do it that adheres to forum guidelines.

 

[tennisets]

I love the way Grado foam smells

. Too bad the smell mostly goes away after a couple weeks. I guess I'll just have to satisfy myself with the smell of the leather headband, lol. Does anyone else like the way Grado foam smells (the foam they use for the pads and the foam in box smell the same, I think, so I'm talking about both!)?

 

[kramer5150]

Probably B.O.

I have to admit I have to wash my DT770 earpads every month or so. They start to smell like my gym socks

Get a bunch of altoids and place them in a zip lock bag. Zip the cans up inside with them. Let them sit for a week or 2... Heck may as well burn them in while they are de-odorizing.

Garrett

 

[akwok]

Sennheiser HD650s come in a distinct smelling box.. the foam is extremely smelly.

It wears off though. I still remember the smell, .

 

[glenmorangie]

funny thing this thread came up. i am currently developing a "new headphone" scent in a spray bottle. i think it will really help some people with their upgrade itch.

 

[virometal]

Man, I dig that Senn smell as well. Whenever it is around, I turn into one of those ladies on the Axe commercials. If they could bottle it, my dog would be sprayed daily after I use it on my flakes instead of milk.

Grado smell is even better.

 

[virometal]

Scotch guy beat me to it!

 

[allenf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenmorangie funny thing this thread came up. i am currently developing a "new headphone" scent in a spray bottle. i think it will really help some people with their upgrade itch.

That isn't just a humorous idea...

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal Man, I dig that Senn smell as well. Whenever it is around, I turn into one of those ladies on the Axe commercials. If they could bottle it, my dog would be sprayed daily after I use it on my flakes instead of milk. Grado smell is even better.

Hehehe, true. Although I don't know how a Sennheiser box smells. At both of the meets I went to, I passed on the opportunity to take a sniff

However, you've given me an idea, using some Axe on my headphones(lightly, of course, no need to drench them enough to kill nearby animals

)

I might just have to do that, have my HD580's disassembled, painted Rosso Corsa (Ferrari Red), and wear them out in public ALL THE TIME

Oh, and the Grado smell is great. Can't get enough of it.

,
Abe

 

[gpalmer]

My L3000's smell like a dead cow, lightly tanned!